2010 Census: Minorities Rise in Chathams

The latest census data shows that in the Chathams, the number of nearly all minorities has grown in the last ten years.

Hispanics and Latinos grew by the greatest numbers in the borough and township, and the number of Asians also increased significantly.

The number of people under 18 also increased, especially in proportion to overall population growth. The overall popuation of Chatham Borough grew by 502, but the number of minors living in the town grew by 601. Overall township population grew by 366, and the number of people under 18 years of age increased by 558.

Chatham Borough Mayor Nelson Vaughan and former Township Mayor Kevin Tubbs said the increase of children living in the towns was "not surprising at all," in Vaughan's words.

"We certainly know from the schools and things like the recreation programs that the number of young people has gone up," Tubbs said.

Despite a statewide decreasing trend in school enrollment, the School District of the Chathams has grown significantly, reaching nearly full capacity at several schools.

The increase of minors living in the towns "also shows the value of projects like Shunpike Field," according to Tubbs.

Vaughan said that the increase in racial diversity is a good thing for Chatham. "We're beginning to become similar to the rest of the country," he said.

Vaughan said he would be interested to see the population broken down by age groups a little more, especially to see how the number of seniors has changed in the last 10 years. That data was not available Thursday. It is expected to be released later this year.

Chatham Township Mayor Nicole Hagner was not immediately available for comment Thursday evening.

A complete breakdown of the census information available may be found in the chart below.

Chatham Patch Editor Laura Silvius contributed to the reporting in this article.